Public Document Pack Task and Finish Group on the future outlook for the media in Wales Meeting Venue: Committee Room 2 - Senedd Meeting date: 3 November 2011 Meeting time: 12:30 For further information please contact: Marc Wyn Jones Committee Clerk 029 2089 8505 [email protected] Agenda 1. Introductions, apologies and substitutions 2. Inquiry into the future outlook for the media in Wales (12.30 - 15.00) Broadcasters (TV and Radio) (12.30 - 14.00) (Pages 1 - 28) Media(4)-02-11 : Paper 1 Media(4)-02-11 : Paper 2 Media(4)-02-11 : Paper 3 Media(4)-02-11 : Paper 4 Rhodri Talfan Davies, Director, BBC Cymru Wales Phil Henfrey, Head of News and Programmes, ITV Wales Huw Jones, Chairman, S4C Terry Mann, Station Manager GTfm, Community Radio Wales Independent Producers (TV and Radio) (14.00 - 15.00) (Pages 29 - 41) Media(4)-02-11 : Paper 5 Media(4)-02-11 : Paper 6 – paper not received Media(4)-02-11 : Paper 7 Iestyn Garlick, Chair, TAC Gareth Williams, TAC John Geraint, Creative Director, Green Bay Agenda Item 2a National Assembly for Wales, Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee Task and Finish Group inquiry into the media in Wales BBC Cymru Wales management evidence Page 1 October 2011 1. Overview BBC Cymru Wales has always been more than just a broadcaster - it is one of the nation’s cornerstones. High quality content, in both Welsh and English, across television, radio and interactive services, helps the audience to make sense of modern Wales and explore the nation's cultural, social and political diversity. Our growing slate of high-profile content for the BBC’s networks provides a pan-UK and global stage for the very best talent. BBC Wales’ centres in Cardiff, Bangor, Wrexham, Swansea, Carmarthen and Aberystwyth employ approximately 1200 staff, as well as several hundred freelancers and contractors during peak production periods. In 2010/11, BBC Wales spent £72m 1 on content and services for audiences in Wales. This investment delivered: 708 originated hours of Wales-specific programmes for BBC One Wales and BBC Two Wales, and an average reach of 1 million – the best performance for many years BBC-produced programming for S4C, under the statutory requirement to supply at least 10 hours of television programming each week to the channel. This provision for S4C is built around three core pillars that are mainstays of S4C’s schedule – journalism, daily drama and live rugby. BBC programming on S4C reached an average of 190,000 each week in 10/11 Two national radio services – BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru. The stations attracted a weekly reach of 468,000 and 150,000 respectively in 10/11. A recent BBC Trust review found that both services are providing high-quality, distinctive programmes, and are valued by listeners A broad range of interactive digital services in both languages attracting 1.4m weekly unique users per week. BBC Wales makes a major contribution to BBC network services across TV, radio and online. The value of BBC TV network production in Wales - produced both in-house and by independent companies - was £52m in 2010/11. Programming highlights included Sherlock, Human Planet, 1 This figure excludes pan-BBC overhead adjustments Page 2 Doctor Who, Upstairs Downstairs, Crimewatch and Being Human. They made an indelible mark with audiences in Wales, across the UK, and beyond. Sherlock, for example, attracted an average UK-wide audience of 8.7m and has been sold to 183 territories worldwide. In September the long running BBC One medical drama Casualty began production at Roath Lock. The studios will provide a permanent purpose- built home to BBC Wales drama. The 175,000 square foot facility was completed in 13 months and its recent opening marks the beginning of a new chapter for drama production in Wales. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is the only professional symphony orchestra in Wales. It is housed in BBC Hoddinott Hall, a bespoke facility at the Wales Millennium Centre, and regularly performs across Wales and beyond. 2. Delivering Quality First 2. 1 Context In October, the UK Government and the BBC agreed the licence fee should remain at £145.50 until the end of the Charter in 2017— giving certainty of funding for the next six years— and that the BBC would fund extra broadcasting-related activities consisting of: The BBC World Service and BBC Monitoring An expanded partnership with S4C Support for new local television services Raising and extending the current ring-fence in the licence fee for digital TV switchover from £133m a year to £150m a year, repurposed to support broadband roll-out. In order to allow the BBC to absorb inflation and fund these new commitments, the BBC’s Director-General set the organisation a challenge, under the Delivering Quality First initiative, to deliver savings of 20% over the five years between 2012/13 and 2016/17. Reaching this target figure will enable the BBC to reinvest 4% in new priorities, including digital innovation. 2.2 BBC Wales’ Financial challenge Under Delivering Quality First - and subject to the current consultation by the BBC Trust - BBC Wales has been tasked with reducing its expenditure by 16% over the next five years. That equates to a total of £10.7m by Page 3 2016/17. This figure excludes BBC Wales’ spend on programming for S4C, the orchestra and network commissioned productions 2. BBC Wales has decided to protect programmes and content spend as far as is possible by seeking deeper savings from overhead costs and support departments. Over the five-year period between 2012/13 and 2016/17, BBC Wales expects to deliver a 25% reduction in its non-content spend. As a result the level of content budget reductions facing output areas is expected to be limited to an average of 10% between 2012/13 and 2016/17. The majority of these savings will be delivered in 2012/13 and 2013/14. This means that whilst the next two financial years will undoubtedly be challenging, BBC Wales’ financial position will remain relatively stable for the final three years of the licence fee period. Achieving these savings targets will lead to the estimated closure of between 110 and 125 posts over the next five years, whilst between 18 and 24 new posts will be created in priority areas such as news and peak radio hours. While DQF will lead to an overall reduction in BBC network production budgets, Wales will enjoy significant new investment due to the BBC’s ongoing commitment to increase the share of network production produced by the devolved nations. 2. 3 BBC Wales’ approach to reducing editorial budgets BBC Wales’ response to the DQF challenge was based on a root and branch review of BBC Wales services, led by workstreams across the organisation and informed by the BBC’s Putting Quality First strategy. That work was instrumental in shaping the key priorities of BBC Wales. These priorities fall into six areas: High-quality, agenda-setting journalism that reflects every part of Wales factual and knowledge-building output that gets under the skin of Welsh life expert coverage of major events and sports that bring the nation together 2 The BBC’s expenditure on programmes for S4C from 13/14 will be informed by a new strategic partnership, to be agreed between the BBC Trust and S4C Authority. A review of all BBC Orchestras is currently being conducted. Page 4 developing Wales’ reputation as a world class centre of drama, factual and music production supporting contemporary culture and music partnering with others for the benefit of audiences and national life to build a stronger, shared public space for Wales. By setting these clear priorities in Wales, BBC Wales has been able to carefully protect the content that matters most and in some cases to increase or ring-fence budgets in key areas of spend. For example, there will be reinvestment in political, specialist and agenda-setting journalism on daily news and the proportion of spend on Radio Wales and Radio Cymru’s peak time schedules will increase. Reductions in programming have been targeted, wherever possible, at times in the radio and television schedules where fewer people watch or listen. In television, this means that there will be a higher level of reduction to BBC Two Wales output. Radio savings will be delivered in off-peak hours as far as possible. 2.4 Content impact overview In October 2011, BBC Wales announced the following editorial changes - both to protect key areas of output and to meet the 16% savings challenge. 2.4.1 News, politics and current affairs BBC Wales will not be reducing the volume of daily news output and will apply a lower efficiency target in this area given its very obvious importance to the audience In order to strengthen specialist news coverage of Wales, Economics and Culture Correspondents will be appointed. An additional reporting post for the south Wales valleys will be created. To encourage a wider range of perspectives and voices in our journalism, a new weekly programme will be launched in 2012 on BBC One Wales. This flagship programme will have politics at its heart but will also encompass a wider Welsh public life agenda. This will be produced by the independent sector and will replace the current Dragon’s Eye next Autumn The Week In Week Out budget will be ring-fenced and independent producers will be invited to contribute to the run Page 5 BBC Wales will increase coverage of politics in daily news output, with the creation of two new reporting posts.